The play devised just for the championship delivered Leon Goldstein’s first flag-football title.
Dolphins coach Salvatore Prestianni tweaked his team’s traditional option-pass play into a hook-and-ladder version two days before the title game. He knew two-time defending flag-football champion Tottenville would be well prepared for the formation’s usual pass to the left behind the line of scrimmage and then a long toss down field.
Prestianni, who felt he was too conservative in last year’s final loss, called it on third down with his team up six and its back up to its own five-yard line.
“I said if I ever got back, I was going to be aggressive,” he said. “It’s the only way to be.”
Instead of tossing sideways, quarterback Nancy Palumbo hit Emily Ourzdine short over the middle. She quickly lateralled the ball left to speedster Rorie St. Lawrence for a 36-yard run. It gave Goldstein a first down and put it in position for an eventual five-yard touchdown run by St. Lawrence through four defenders. The score put the Dolphins up two scores and the team never looked back.
“It changed the game up,” Palumbo said.
Fourth-seeded Goldstein then cruised to a 32–13 victory over No. 3 Tottenville in the Public School Athletic League flag football championship game at Aviator Sports Complex on June 12. It is the Dolphins’ first crown in program history.
“After last year, we knew we had something to prove,” St. Lawrence said. “We had to show everyone we are a really great team.”
Her team trailed 13–6 with 6:18 to play in the first half. Tottenville (11–3) would not score again. Touchdown passes of 34 and 50 yards respectively from Palumbo to Ourzdine, the game’s most valuable player, put Goldstein up 19–13 with 1:30 to go before the break. St. Lawrence intercepted Tottenville quarterback Jamie Quadrato with 15 seconds left to ensure the Dolphins (12–2) ended the half ahead.
“It was a really good confidence booster,” St. Lawrence said.
She proceeded to have her way with the Tottenville defense in the second half. The Pirates had no answer for her speed, agility, and ability to change direction quickly. Her shifty five-yard touchdown run put Goldstein up 32–13 with 4:13 to play.
“The second she gets her one good cut she is off and is gone,” Ourzdine said.
The Goldstein defense didn’t let Tottenville go anywhere after the break. Victoria Italico was excellent at pulling flags before Pirates players could get into open space. Nandy Momperousse put plenty of pressure on Quadrato in the pocket. Prestianni felt his team did a better job of disguising its coverage and disrupting Quadrato’s rhythm.
The complete performance was enough to crown Goldstein champion. The players rushed the field, Palumbo was lifted on her teammates’ shoulders, and Prestianni received a Gatorade shower.
“Last year we were heartbroken,” Palumbo said. “This year, we said we were going to come back and we were going to show them that we didn’t deserve to lose.”